We're an outdoor family. I'm an outdoor dad. My sons are outdoor kids. We hike, bike, snowshoe, ski and more in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. It's the wildest backyard on earth, and we'd like to share it with you, your kids and your family.

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Tuesday, 29 January 2013

Kids Snowshoeing Gear: It All Starts with the Right Winter Boots

Stand up! You're going to get snow in your boots.

The only thing worse than cold wet feet are cold frozen feet. A successful kids snowshoe trip starts with the kids wearing the right foot wear. While I've suggested in a past post on kids hiking gear that kids don't necessarily need hiking boots, equipping them with the right boots on a snowshoe trip can make the difference between a fun winter outing and a painful, cry-filled experience or worse—a trip to emergency for frostbitten toes.

If preventing kids from crying isn't enough, think of boots like sunscreen. Just like a bad sun burn early in life increases your chances of skin cancer later on, getting frostbite once increases the likelihood of getting frostbite in the future. Long-term effects of even a single case of frostbite include heightened sensitivity to the cold, numbness, stiffness, chronic pain and amputation. It doesn't get any longer term than having your toes cut off when you're a kid.

Didn't you hear what I told your brother about lying in the snow?

Here are some tips on how to choose a boot that's appropriate for
snowshoeing, as well as shoveling snow, and playing king of the snow pile at school:

Temperature rating—If
the boots don't have a temperature rating, don't buy them. No rating
can be a sign that the boots aren't intended for extended forays into
the cold. Look for a boot rated to -20 C/-5 F or lower. It's best to err on the side of too warm than too
cold. Everyone's different, and what will keep some kids' toes toasty at
-20 C will let others' toes freeze at -10 C.

I thought I told you to get up!

No hiking boots—On warmer days, an adult can get moving fast enough to keep
his/her feet warm enough in hiking boots. Kids on the other hand
generally move slower and stop more. This means their bodies aren't
producing as much heat, and their blood isn't circulating that heat to
their hands and feet as efficiently. (The stopping can also keep parents
from moving enough to stay warm, so you might want to forgo the winter
hiking boots, too.) Hiking boots also have low cuffs, but more about
that below.

High cuffs—The higher the boot goes
up your kid's legs, the better. Snow up to your ankles will go halfway
up the calf of 6-year-olds and right down the cuffs of their
boots. Once their socks are wet, the fun is over
and the clock is ticking on how quickly you can get back to the car.

Are any of you even listening to me? So help me, if you get cold feet...

Drawstrings on the cuffs—These are far from perfect, but they'll keep some snow out of your kids' boots. Just remember to tighten them before you hit the deep stuff. And make sure snow pants are pulled over the boots, not tucked in.

Waterproof—You'd
think it would go without saying, but make sure the boot is waterproof. Many winter boots are made of materials that will actually soak up water. Or they're made with
waterproof material, but leak through the seams.

Finally,
don't over-tighten your kid's snowshoe harnesses. They can be wearing the
warmest boots you could find, but their feet will still freeze if the
harness is cutting off the circulation to their toes. Also, bring extra socks and
dry footwear for the drive home. There's nothing in the backcountry as
ornery as a bored kid with wet feet.

Field Tests:

Mack and Michael have field tested a lot of boots.
Three brands that have consistently kept their feet warm and dry are Baffin, Sorel and Kamik. Unfortunately, the Schmaltz family gear suppliers are
too cheap to shell out for those fancy new neoprene boots like Bogs, so the boys can't comment on how warm they are. But my guess is that the big
pull holes on either side and lack of drawstrings would soon let in the snow.

About Me

I've been playing in the Canadian Rocky Mountains since I was six. These days I hike, scramble, snowshoe, backcountry ski and throw in a little mountaineering and ice climbing for fun. But some of my favorite hikes are the ones with my sons and reliving the wonder of the mountains through their eyes.
In my work life, I'm executive director of Crossing the Divide Experience, a non-profit that takes disadvantaged youth to the backcountry. Check it out at www.crossingthedivide.com